Chapter 98

As promised, this will be from Rith's perspective.

Rithane approached Laranis' table. Despite her sudden appearance, Laranis immediately asked a servant to prepare tea, showing her true nature as a duchess' daughter.

"Thank you, Laranis."

"No, it's nothing. It's far from what Elina-neesan could do. So, is something the matter, Rithane-nee?"

"…Yeah, it's kind of surprising and shocking."

"Surprising, you say?"

Laranis, with her puzzled look, indeed resembles Alviss. Though they look alike, Laranis is more expressive than Alviss, who often wears a troubled expression.

I thought I knew Alviss better than Laranis. Alviss sees me more as a childhood friend than a sister. Our familial bond should have been closer than with Laranis, especially during our childhood. Yet, seeing Alviss now feels like the first time. Or perhaps, it has happened before, but I just didn't know.

"I don't think I've ever seen Alviss-niisan and Elina spending time together like this."

"Is that so?"

"I see them at parties, but now that I think about it, I've never seen them together in a private setting."

I talk to Elina and Alviss, but usually with one of them at a time. This is the first time I've seen them together like this, observing their interaction.

"Yes, but I heard you came up with the idea for this tea party."

"Yes, but I was expecting something more… heartwarming."

Behind Alviss stands Edward, and a few guards are at the entrance. They are all familiar to Alviss, and some are even former colleagues. In their presence, Alviss smiles beside Elina, a different expression from the one he shows to Laranis and me. It's hard to describe, but his usually icy blue eyes are unusually soft.

"The fact that Ed and the others didn't react means this is normal for them."

"I think so. But Elina-neesan looks happy."

"Really…."

Elina's cheeks are slightly flushed, and she giggles. Occasionally, Alviss touches her red hair, and she looks up at him with adoration. This must be the distance between a married couple.

"…I'm glad. Alviss-niisan has really moved on."

"Rithane-nee?"

"It's about them."

As we observe, a young lady approaches. It's the Viscountess of Vizdum, accompanied by her friends, who share similar feelings. The Countess of Harbala, who was talking to her earlier, is also with them.

"The hero…."

Muttering this, Shiodiran, who had been sitting silently beside me, stood up. I looked up, and his gaze was directed at Alviss.

"Sir Lancel?"

"Princess, Miss Laranis, please excuse me for a moment."

"Y-Yes."

Bowing, Shiodiran walked straight toward Alviss. I wondered what he intended to do. Meanwhile, the Viscountess of Vizdum and Elina continued their conversation.

"I didn't expect His Highness the Crown Prince to be here."

"I had some free time, so I decided to drop by."

"Is that so? Since Her Highness the Princess is here, could we revisit our previous discussion?"

The content of the Viscountess of Vizdum's previous discussion caused everyone to fall silent. It was a topic everyone wanted to know about, and the setting was meant for such discussions, but no one expected it to be brought up so directly.

"Everyone here was originally supposed to become one of Jirard's concubines."

"Laranis?"

"It was just a plan, not something explicitly communicated, and the king did not approve of it."

"The Viscountess of Vizdum thought that with her proposal, it couldn't be refused."

At the previous party, Alviss and the Viscountess of Vizdum were introduced by the king and queen. The king's support is their strength, or perhaps their boldness, given that they are unaware of the rift between the king and Alviss on this matter.

"I declined."

"Are you rejecting the kindness of the king and queen?"

"I have already informed the king of my decision. Besides…."

Alviss paused, then pulled Elina closer and kissed her forehead. The Viscountess of Vizdum and her friends turned bright red, and Elina, the recipient, was also blushing.

"I have no plans to touch anyone other than Elina."

"But what about this country…?"

"In the past, the goddess Luciola, who founded Rubelia, had only one husband. Don't you think it's fitting for me, who benefits from her grace, to do the same?"

"…I see."

Alviss spoke not as the crown prince but as himself. He might be angry about bringing this up in front of Elina. The pressure of his words left the young ladies speechless. Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, causing the Viscountess of Vizdum to lose her balance.

"Ah…."

Just as she was about to fall, Shiodiran caught her. The Viscountess of Vizdum, who seemed relieved, quickly pulled away.

"Sir Lancel… Thank you…"

"You're welcome."

"I… I'm not feeling well, so I'll take my leave."

The door was already open, and the Viscountess of Vizdum left with her friends.

"What? What happened?"

"I don't know either."

Rithane and Laranis were confused. However, Alviss was talking to Shiodiran, who seemed to be smiling. Perhaps this was Alviss' doing, and Shiodiran was there to help. The Viscountess of Vizdum, seeing Shiodiran, fled in panic. Her expression as she left was pale.

Afterward, Alviss said his goodbyes and left. Shiodiran returned and seemed to plan to stay until the end.

"Sir Lancel, what was that all about?"

"…That young lady seems to dislike me and always runs away when she sees me. It's not just her."

Unlike Alviss, Shiodiran often attends tea parties and social gatherings but remains mostly silent and speaks bluntly. This straightforwardness often makes people uncomfortable.

"What specifically did you say to her?"

"I told her that her perfume was too strong and that she used to wear dresses that were too mature for her age."

"…."

Wearing mature clothing suggests she had certain aspirations at that age. Being criticized by a boy her age might have made her feel rejected, especially for a young lady who was used to being pampered. Perhaps Shiodiran planted these traumas in the young ladies. If they were embarrassed in public, they might not be able to recover as young ladies. This is why they avoid Shiodiran. If he is aware of this, he should change, but that's the role of his friends like Alviss and his sister Harbala, not Rithane's.

"Well, it doesn't seem to have solved anything, but it's fine…."

"There's no problem."

"Sir Lancel, why do you say that?"

Laranis asked. Shiodiran gestured for her to look around. The young ladies surrounding Elina were talking amicably, and others were watching from a distance. Though we couldn't hear their conversation, it was likely about what just happened.

"The young ladies around the princess generally accept Alviss' decision. The problem is the others, but they should realize that what just happened was a threat from Alviss."

"A threat from niisan?"

"…When Alviss mentioned Luciola, the wind started. He was using it to his advantage."

"He seemed to have some resistance to invoking the goddess's name, but he believes in using what is necessary."

"But there will be a price to pay… and it could be troublesome if there are strange followers."

The Viscountess of Vizdum's family might have been one of those followers. Her pale face might have been due to this. Regardless, the news will likely reach the viscount. If it spreads that this was the will of the goddess, what will Alviss do?

"But for Alviss, the princess is the most important. It's not entirely false, but he's quite stubborn."

It's a known fact that Luciola had only one partner, Zerium. Alviss has some resistance to using this, which is very much like him. Regardless, he did more than I expected.

"Really… this is unexpected."

"Hehe…."

But showing the closeness of Alviss and Elina as a married couple might have been a success. It won't take long for their relationship to spread in society.